No One Leaves Unchanged: Insights for Civilian Mental Health Care Professionals Into the Military Experience and Culture

Abstract

This article aims to elucidate an understanding of military culture and experience, so as to better frame the services offered by civilian clinicians. Service members indoctrinated into such an influential culture can experience adjustment problems upon reentry into the larger society, and thus professional counselors and social workers must be ready to address the reintegration process with veteran clients. Furthermore, this article highlights a few of the major mental health concerns that are prevalent in combat veterans, especially for those returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and presents a brief overview of treatment modalities implemented both within and outside of the military. Practical therapeutic suggestions for clinicians with little or no knowledge of the military are discussed. The objective is to educate and prepare civilian mental health practitioners to administer culturally sensitive prevention and intervention services to meet the unique needs of this population.

Understanding why veterans are reluctant to access help for alcohol problems: Considerations for nurse education

“…Algire et al (2013) suggest in order to provide clinically appropriate care for veterans, health care providers need to understand the characteristics of today"s veteran population and have an awareness of the cultural sensitivities associated with having been a member of the armed forces. In addition Coll et al (2011) argues the importance of health care staff understanding the "military mind set" so they are able to engage and develop therapeutic relationships with this client group.…”

An Interprofessional Education Project to Address Veterans’ Healthcare Needs

“…In the United Kingdom [UK], primary care is the first level of care for veterans needing healthcare (Pinder, Fear, Wessely, Reid, & Greenberg, 2010). Yet, many civilian healthcare providers are unfamiliar with veterans' issues and need specific training on military culture and the combat experiences of veterans and their families in order to provide compassionate, high quality care (Coll, Weiss, & Yarvis, 2011). Veterans' care in the future will require all healthcare providers be adequately prepared to provide sensitive, comprehensive care for veterans, particularly those who may be experiencing multiple chronic physical and behavioral health problems related to their military service.…”

“…These influences play a pivotal role in the successful transitioning from active military service to civilian life that can result in a sense of "culture shock," as if immigrants in their own country (Coll, Weiss, & Yarvis, 2011). A challenge for many military personnel returning home is often a state of hyper-alertness, once crucial in a warzone, now viewed as compulsive and controlling (Danish & Antonides, 2013).…”

Promoting Military Cultural Competence among Civilian Care Providers: Learning through Program Development

“…Prior to commencing, all MCCP participants were asked to complete a survey designed to collect demographic data and assess their self-efficacy with the veteran population. This self-efficacy measurement was guided by the literature on rapport building [19][20][21].…”